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Topic: VT (Read 2354 times)

Using my perogative as CRG Coordinator and primary site maintainer, I've taken a slightly unusual step - which I believe is warranted - in adding a temporary gesture of solidarity to the main CRG page. This will be a very rare thing and has never been done before by us for an off-topic issue, though in hindsight I should have done this at least one other time. I did not even do this after 9/11 - but I was overseas when that happened and afterwards I think I was still in too much shock to be creative enough to realize that I should have done something then with the site.

This has personally affected me in ways I did not expect and am still discovering. I took my master's in Engineering Mechanics from the ESM department of VT in 1981-82. I still know and am in occasional touch with some of the faculty, as well as a number of alums that I see as a result of my professional career. My little research assistant "office" was just inside and to the right of the bottom floor entrance to Norris Hall, adjacent to the doors that you've seen on TV that appear behind the emergency crews carrying out the injured and the dead. The entire building is now closed and will remain a crime scene for a number of days yet - but the department is pulling itself together, moving to temporary quarters, and the university is reopening come Monday. Of the five faculty killed two were from the ESM department. Amazingly, no ESM students lost their lives, due to the timing of class scheduling and because Prof Librescu http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/person.php?id=10023, aware that something bad was going down in the building, sacrificed his life to hold his classroom door shut while most of his students escaped out the windows. His grip on the door failed only after he was shot in the head through the door. There are other acts of heroism, both large and small, that will eventually come to the surface.

The Hokie Nation will survive. But this time is, for them. in the words to me of one of my former profs - "hell on the brains and emotions for all of us".

This tragedy has touch everyone to certain degree. It really hit home for me because I had worked closely with Professor Kevin Granata. Our company provided many of his research tools. A brilliant researcher in the biomechanics field. Sad , very sad....

Thanks for posting on this tragic event. This is the first time I have logged on for a week as it has indeed been a gut wrenching one for us in the area. Itís great to hear and know that the rest of our Hokie Nation heart is in spirit at home in this trying time. My oldest son attended Tech just a few years back and we feel the pain in so many ways. We are indeed hurting. From the first news that we got Monday morning as the students were calling into the local TV stations and reporting what was going on to today and the continuous saturation on the local radio & TV stations; it has been a tremendous emotional drain on all. The entire community is still just stunned by this. Yesterday as we all put on maroon and orange Hokie gear, and believe me it was everywhere, you could still see the disbelief in every one's eyes and hear it in their voices. Such a terrible and horrific deed taking from us what we hold dearest in what seems like an endless nightmare. Itís going to take a long time to heal. Let me humbly say to all who are thinking of the lost and their parents, VT, and the Hokie Nation at large, we say thank you and know it does comfort us. Hang in there Rich, some day that "Hokie Hi" will return.

Rich,Just logged in for the first time in awhile, and wanted to thank you for the gesture and putting the link on the main page. I noticed it immediately when the site opened up... and just really appreciated it.

I graduated from Tech in '87 (undergrad in IEOR). I still think about this tragedy every day -- having been in those buildings (for me both AJ and Norris) so often during my time there really makes it personal. Heartfelt wishes to the friends and families of the victims-